Who knew strata could produce such a thrill? And yet, the Power Tripper exists mainly (some might say, solely) to derive immense pleasure from wielding the power given to them, in whatever capacity, via strata legislation, a contract or by virtue of their position. Usually that means they are on the committee, although sometimes it can happen in other ways.
Catch cry: ‘I’m the [insert role or title here] and it’s my decision!’
Red Flags: you may have a Power Tripper on your hands if:
- You encounter someone issuing a ‘notice’ or ‘breach’ within a nanosecond of it allegedly happening; or
- You are seeing emails from someone with an email address of president_and_chair@gmail.com or similar
The Good: invariably, a Power Tripper also has a strong sense of their strata role. And that can be immensely beneficial in helping the scheme to tick along the way that it should. The Power Tripper is also an assertive decision-maker, in our experience – again, no bad thing for getting things done.
The Bad: well it’s obvious isn’t it? The Power Tripper can make people feel they don’t have a voice and that their contribution is not wanted at the strata scheme. Moreover, the Power Tripper can sometimes circumvent the proper process in favour of only ‘their’ way of doing things. This invariably leads to disharmony and dispute.
Making the Power Tripper Work For the Scheme: the Power Tripper thrives in situations where there are elements of compliance (some would say punishment) involved. So look for compliance related activities to be given – with appropriate guidance – to the Power Tripper. Equally, avoid utilising the Power Tripper for things such as mediation or conciliation, as they are unlikely to be the right fit.
What Can We Do When It Becomes a Problem? hard as it is to do, you need to communicate with the Power Tripper to let them know the problem exists, because in their mind, the Power Tripper won’t see or accept there is anything wrong – they are just doing what is ‘right’.
Fun Fact: deny it all you want, but everyone – yes, even you – enjoys a bit of ‘power’ from time to time. Don’t deny that part of yourself, just be sure you use it correctly. Remember that ‘power trip’ does not always replace ‘being assertive’ or even ‘asserting your rights’.
Think You May Be a Power Tripper? Being part of strata is all about give and take and reasonable outcomes – not a series of rigid instructions that must be implemented and followed. You have to give a little in order to be a strata contributor.
Can Strata Solve Assist? Sure can! Drop us a line to see how we can assist with this and related strata issues.